Search results for

An eccentric, a free spirit and an unflaggingly open-minded heroine, Mame Dennis taught more than one protege — including NPR's Bob Mondello — how to open new windows without worrying about the view.

As war continues and the economy sags, Maureen Corrigan recommends three historical works that provide insight into coping with trying times.

United States security has long been a primary issue for the conservative movement. But is an aggressive foreign policy actually counterproductive? Author J. Peter Scoblic says yes.

Though largely forgotten, cartoonist Jackie Ormes lent a strong voice to black women in the decades leading up to the civil rights movement. She was a pioneer in her day, creating smart and independent heroines that challenged the period's stereotypes.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews A Power Stronger Than Itself: The AACM and the American Experimental Music by George E. Lewis. The book tracks the history of Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, an organization that promoted the development of new jazz styles.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is set after World War II and follows a London writer who becomes enthralled with the stories of Nazi occupation of the island of Guernsey, off the British coast. Author Mary Ann Shaffer died before she could complete it, but her niece stepped in.

On Jan. 4, 2007, Nancy Pelosi made history as the first female speaker of the House. She talks with Deborah Amos about her new book, Know Your Power: A Message to America's Daughters. Pelosi comes from a devoutly Democratic family, and she charts her journey from stay-at-home mom to politician.

Traffic congestion is the bane of any commuter's morning ride to work. Tom Vanderbilt, the author of Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do, talks about the behavior that leads to gridlock — and other vehicular annoyances.

The quest to understand what makes us us has long been one of humankind's great pursuits. Neuroscientist Michael Gazzaniga has made progress: He's the author of Human: The Science Behind What Makes Us Unique.

Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon University professor who turned a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer into a best-selling book and worldwide fame, died today at age 47.